


fill my heart with love

by tigermochaeyu



Category: TWICE (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Coming Out, F/F, Fluff, Non-binary character
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-27
Updated: 2018-04-27
Packaged: 2019-04-28 13:23:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,650
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14450172
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tigermochaeyu/pseuds/tigermochaeyu
Summary: Chaeyoung’s life is filled with friends that would die for them and a pretty girl named Minatozaki Sana.





	fill my heart with love

**Author's Note:**

> A major shoutout to @angstychaengie on twitter for helping me write non-binary Chaeyoung properly and accurately so that I could give non-binary fans representation in any way that I could.
> 
> This is super cute and I hope you all enjoy it <3

The first ones Chaeyoung tells are Jeongyeon and Dahyun.

It’s a month before summer ends and they’re all forced to go back to crumbling under the pressure of assignments and exams. The three best friends are laid out in the grass at some park they had found roaming their hometown a few years ago, before they had all gone off to the same college to pursue their wild dreams of becoming something more than small town kids. 

Dahyun is happily eating a sucker she bought from the corner store (quite literally the biggest one she could find and still fit in her mouth) and Jeongyeon is reading one of her required readings for her literature class so that she can be ahead of the game when she gets to school. Chaeyoung is laid between them, eyes trailing the sky aimlessly and mind running a mile a minute.

“I think I’m non-binary,” Chaeyoung blurts out once the silence grows too long for their comfort, earning the eyes of their best friends almost immediately.

“Yeah?” Is the first word to come out of Jeongyeon’s mouth, nothing but sincerity and a bit of pride in her tone. Just one single word has nearly half of the weight on Chaeyoung’s shoulders falling away, a breath they didn’t know they were holding expelling from their lips.

“Yeah,” the word comes out in a breath as they answer simply, waiting for the reaction of their friends. The first is from Jeongyeon, her hand laying on top of Chaeyoung’s own as she squeezes theirs tightly, a silent show of support that Chaeyoung didn’t know they needed. The next is from Dahyun, who lays down beside them with her head propped up in her hand as she looks down at Chaeyoung, playing with their long hair.

“How long have you known?” Dahyun asks softly, but Chaeyoung can almost hear the apology in her tone. Chaeyoung knows Dahyun is the type to feel guilty for things she can’t control and their immediate reaction is to look up at Dahyun and shake their head gently.

“Don’t apologize, I can practically feel it oozing off of you,” Chaeyoung jokes, their light laughter earning a smile from their best friend. “And I’m not sure.. I think I’ve always known, but there’s a big difference in knowing something and accepting it, you know?”

“Dahyun knows all about that, little miss church girl turned panicked gay,” Jeongyeon jokes, earning a whine from their tofu colored friend and a laugh from Chaeyoung as well. “Honestly Chaeng, there’s no pressure in trying to figure yourself out right away. But we’re incredibly proud of you, okay?”

“Okay,” Chaeyoung smiles, a blush dusting their cheeks as they’re overwhelmed with how much they love their friends. Jeongyeon and Dahyun must notice, smiling widely as they throw themselves on top of Chaeyoung in a dog pile group hug. Chaeyoung laughs loud and free, the first time in a while they’ve felt like themselves, and they don’t know what they would do without Jeongyeon and Dahyun.

-

Tzuyu is the next to be told. Well rather, the next to find out for herself.

Two weeks before school starts, Dahyun shyly walks up to Chaeyoung, her feet scuffing the concrete step of their childhood home nervously and her arms held behind her back. Chaeyoung waits patiently, knows Dahyun will tell them when she’s ready, and it isn’t long until they hear the words quietly fall from Dahyun’s lips.

“I finally asked out Tzuyu and.. she said yes.”

Chaeyoung’s eyes light up with excitement, scooping Dahyun up tightly in their arms as they spin the two of them around wildly. “That’s amazing!” Chaeyoung shouts once they finally put Dahyun back down onto the ground. “Why were you so nervous to tell me?”

“I uh..” Dahyun trails off, her nervousness coming back in full force. “I really want to bring her to meet you and Jeong, because you two are the most important people in my life and if she’s going to ever make that list she needs to like you two, too.”

An overwhelming amount of emotion fills Chaeyoung’s chest as they nod aggressively, throwing themselves at Dahyun again for another tight hug as they mutter a quiet ‘of course’ and a following ‘thank you’ into Dahyun’s ear.

A week later Chaeyoung finds themselves at a table with Jeongyeon, Dahyun, and Tzuyu all conversing comfortably with one another, with Tzuyu on their left and Jeongyeon on their right. Tzuyu keeps glancing at Chaeyoung a bit longer than normal, making them a bit nervous about the taller girl’s piercing eyes. Nervously they play with their ponytail, having pulled it back for their own comfort, wondering if it was a bad choice.

It takes barely ten minutes for Dahyun and Jeongyeon to get into a heated debate about some new anime and it’s confusing plot, and Chaeyoung feels their nerves spike as Tzuyu leans over to whisper into their ear.

“I’m sorry if I’m asking this wrong, but are there any pronouns you prefer?” Tzuyu asks quietly, and something about the way she asks the question, with such genuine curiosity and no judgment lacing her tone, makes Chaeyoung feel ten times more relaxed in the taller girl’s presence.

“They/them, if that’s okay with you,” Chaeyoung says, answering Tzuyu’s question yet not wanting the pronouns to make her feel uncomfortable or burdened. They still aren’t even fully used to the pronouns themselves, they just know that not being referred to by any specific gender makes them feel infinitely better about themselves.

Tzuyu flashes them a blinding smile at their answer, nodding enthusiastically before leaning back into her chair. Dahyun catches the tail end of the interaction, a smirk playing on her lips as she asks, “What are you and Chaeng whispering about over there, Tzuyu?”

“How much cooler they are than you,” Tzuyu says effortlessly, and the surprised yet happy shine in Chaeyoung’s friends eyes at the use of the correct pronouns for Chaeyoung has them smiling wider than they have since the day they first told their friends.

-

Jihyo and Nayeon find out simultaneously.

Jeongyeon and Dahyun had asked Chaeyoung the day before school began if there was anything they wanted to do on the last day of summer. Hesitantly, Chaeyoung had showed their friends a photo of Kirsten Stewart, saying that they wanted to get their hair cut short like the actress because they thought it would make them feel more comfortable with themselves. Jeongyeon and Dahyun were on their feet in an instant, and two hours later nearly all of Chaeyoung’s hair was on the ground.

After moving all of their stuff from back home into the new apartment they share with Jeongyeon and Dahyun, the three friends had made their way down the block towards Jihyo and Nayeon’s shared apartment. The couple have been going strong since before the five of them had met, so it barely surprised Chaeyoung that they had decided to get a place together.

The moment they walk inside and Jihyo’s eyes land on Chaeyoung’s haircut, she quite literally shrieks with excitement.

“Oh my goodness, Chaeyoung!” Jihyo shouts as she makes her way to them, completely ignoring Jeongyeon and Dahyun who whine in protest as she cards her fingers through Chaeyoung’s now short locks. “Oh my gosh you look so _handsome!_ ”

The compliment has Chaeyoung’s cheeks burning with a red blush, the prospect of being called handsome not one that they had expected but certainly enjoyed. Jihyo fawned over their new hair for a solid five minutes before Nayeon walked in, eyes landing on Chaeyoung’s hair as well before smiling brightly.

“Wow Jeong. Your hair has been short forever, but Chaeng cuts hers and she suddenly pulls the short hair off better than you ever will,” Nayeon comments, and Chaeyoung knows not to let the misgender get to them because they haven’t even told Nayeon or Jihyo yet-

“ _They_ ,” Dahyun cuts off Chaeyoung’s train of thought as their friend pulls away from her greeting hug with Jihyo, the older girl moving to wrap her arms around Jeongyeon next. Nayeon looks perplexed at the single syllable word, and Chaeyoung is curious as to why Dahyun seems so protective.

“They?” Nayeon asks softly, not exactly knowing what is going on as her eyes train on their shortest friend.

“Oh I uh..” Chaeyoung trails off, rubbing at the back of their head and their freshly cut locks awkwardly as another blush tints their cheeks. “I’m non-binary, so I would uh.. would prefer if you could refer to me as they/them? But i’s okay if you don’t want to-“

“Nonsense,” Jihyo cuts them off quickly, wrapping her arms tightly around Chaeyoung in a way that makes them feel nothing but safe and loved in the older girl’s arms. “If that’s what you want then that’s what we’ll do.” Chaeyoung hugs back just as tightly when they hear Jihyo mutter how proud she is in Chaeyoung’s ear, but Nayeon seems to just stand dumbfounded where she is.

“Well.. okay?” Nayeon asks more than she says, and Chaeyoung knows more than anyone not to judge her quickly. Nayeon had spent most of her life trying to get herself comfortable with the fact that she liked girls, let alone admit it to herself or anyone else that she did. Growing up in an incredibly conservative household instilled so much internalized homophobia in herself that she’s been trying to open herself to the world one step at a time. 

Chaeyoung being non-binary is a new fork in the road for Nayeon and they’ll gladly help her traverse it.

The first week of school starts and Chaeyoung manages to find time to meet Jihyo out for coffee between buying new textbooks and going to their first classes. Jihyo is already seated, happily waving Chaeyoung over from her seat, and they smile back at her before plopping down in the seat across from her.

“Hey! Glad to see you surviving the first week of boring syllabi,” Jihyo smiles as they get comfortable, and the two of them make small talk for a total of two minutes before a waiter comes up. Chaeyoung says nothing, Jihyo having known their order for two years now and constantly rattling it off before they can themselves, so they sit and wait patiently.

“-and she’ll have the salted caramel frappuccino with whipped cream and chocolate syrup on top,” Jihyo says with a smile, the waiter nodding as he walks off with their orders. Chaeyoung had heard the slip of Jihyo’s tongue but had no intention of saying anything, knowing it’s hard for their friends to grasp the new pronouns. However Jihyo seems to recognize her mistake almost immediately, gasping loudly as her hands fly up to cover her mouth.

“Holy shit, Chaeng I’m so sorry,” Jihyo apologizes frantically, and Chaeyoung can tell she means it because they can count on one hand the amount of times they’ve heard Jihyo swear and that’s the fourth. Chaeyoung waves her off, saying it’s fine and that they understand, but Jihyo won’t stop shaking her head. “No no it’s not fine I told you I would support you and I just messed up and-“

“Jihyo,” Chaeyoung cuts her off with a small laugh, their heart light at how adamant Jihyo is about referring to them with the correct pronouns. It makes them feel valid and worthy and confident in a way they haven’t felt yet about their new identity. “I promise you it’s okay. You made a mistake, I get it, I’m not mad or upset at all.”

“Are you sure?” Jihyo pouts slightly, and lord knows Chaeyoung can’t survive that pout. No one in their right mind could, and that’s precisely why Nayeon is such a whipped woman for Jihyo.

“I’m positive.”

Later that evening, Chaeyoung and Nayeon walk out of their shared class together towards the center of campus, where they’ll split off towards their respective buildings. Nayeon has been having a much more difficult time adjusting to Chaeyoung’s new identity, and while Chaeyoung isn’t at all upset with the older girl, they just wish they could help Nayeon a bit more without feeling like a burden.

It isn’t until they run into a group of Nayeon’s friends that Chaeyoung holds back, watching Nayeon and her friends squeal about something when one of her friends eyes (she thinks her name is Irene) meet their own and asks who they are.

“Oh that’s Chaeyoung!” Nayeon replies happily. “You’ll have to have a conversation with her sometime, she’s incredible.”

Another minute or two passes and Nayeon’s friends are off, but Chaeyoung can’t help but feel their confidence dip down at Nayeon’s words. The older girl smiles as se turns around, but that smile quickly disappears when she sees the sullen look on Chaeyoung’s face.

“Fuck,” Nayeon breathes out, realizing what she had done. “ _Fuck,_ Chaeyoung I.. I’m so sorry I keep.. I keep fucking up and-“

“Nayeon it’s okay, I get it,” Chaeyoung says softly, a small smile gracing their lips but it doesn’t quite reach their eyes. “This is all new for you, and it’s pretty new for me too. I’m not mad at you or anything.”

Nayeon stares at them for a long moment, eyes piercing through their soul and searching for something Chaeyoung isn’t sure of before she speaks again. “I promise, no more screw ups after today. You’re one of my best friends and I shouldn’t be screwing this up so much. So I promise no more misgenders, or I’ll owe you a liter of vodka.”

Chaeyoung perks up at the mention of vodka, playfully making a deal with Nayeon before the two of them part ways towards their homes.

Nayeon never misgenders them again.

-

They meet Mina and Momo two weeks into class.

Chaeyoung is trudging among behind Dahyun, not paying much attention to where they’re stepping nor the general direction they’re walking in because who in their right mind signs up for any morning classes at all let alone an 8am?

They would like to say it isn’t their fault when they run straight into an oncoming body, but it completely is.

“Woah are you- oh hey Dahyun!” The cheery voice in front of Chaeyoung greets their companion as the girl in front of them helps Chaeyoung to their feet. They look up to see two goddesses for women standing in front of them, both of their eyes trained knowingly on Dahyun.

“Momo! Mina! What’s up guys?” Dahyun asks excitedly, and Chaeyoung registers that these must be the transfers Dahyun was telling them about in one of her classes. “Oh shit, this is my friend Chaeyoung.”

“They look good with short hair,” the one called Momo comments offhandedly, before her eyes widen and she looks to Chaeyoung. “Shit did I just- you prefer they/them, yeah?”

Chaeyoung is thrown entirely off guard, eyes looking to Dahyun who merely shrugs at them, having no idea how Momo knows of their pronoun preference.

“I uh- yeah,” Chaeyoung smiles shyly. “How did you know?”

“Just a feeling,” Momo shrugs with a smile, grabbing onto Mina (who won’t stop staring curiously at Chaeyoung) and pulling her down the hall before they’re late to class.

“That was..” Chaeyoung trails off, not knowing how to properly voice their own thoughts.

“I knew Momo was too good for this world when I met her and that just proves it,” Dahyun giggles, looping her arm with Chaeyoung’s as they walk to class together.

Momo and Mina quickly become a staple in their friendship, the four of them meeting for lunch later that day just to get to know each other and grow closer. Chaeyoung learns that Mina also comes from a conservative family but that her stare wasn’t out of judgment but awe, never having met anyone who was non-binary before. Mina asks Chaeyoung a lot of questions, and they do their best to try and explain their thoughts and feelings to the inquisitive girl beside them.

They bring Mina and Momo to meet Jeongyeon, Jihyo, and Nayeon two days later, and just like that six becomes eight.

-

Chaeyoung would like to think that everything in their life boiled down to meeting her.

They’re working their shift at the coffee shop, minding their own business and having a good time working with their friends, Somi and Yeri, when _she_ shows up.

“Hey there, how can-“ Chaeyoung asks at the feeling of a customers presence, but when they look up and their eyes land on the girl in front of them, they accidentally finish with, “you be so _pretty?_ ”

The girl in front of them thankfully laughs at the comment, tucking a hair behind her ear as she says, “Are you always so suave with the ladies?”

“Only when they let their mouth run before their brain,” Chaeyoung hears Yeri mutter behind them, hears Somi laughter mix with Yeri’s, and the blush on their cheeks is more prominent than ever.

“Actually, I think we have a class together,” the girl in front of Chaeyoung says with a wide smile, her eyes sparkling with excitement as she looks down at them. “Music theory 2304, right?”

Chaeyoung’s eyes widen in realization, “Yeah! Otherwise known as the most boring evening class imaginable?”

“That’s the one!” The girl in front of them laughs, and it’s like music to their ears. “Oh shit, where are my manners?” The girl asks, extending her hand out to them. “I’m Sana.”

“Chaeyoung, nice to meet you,” they reply with a smile, before remembering that they’re at work and not some meet up. “Where are _my_ manners, damn. What can I get you?”

“Salted caramel Frappuccino please,” Sana giggles again, and Chaeyoung can feel the blush crawling up their neck at how nice that sound is. They note that Sana had just gotten their normal order as they ring her up, and as they’re about to ask for payment Sana chirps in, “Oh, and your number, too.”

“M-My number?” Chaeyoung stutters in surprise, never thinking they would live out the stereotypical cafe worker rom-com scene ever in their life.

“Yeah! Why not? You think I’m pretty, we have class together, and you’re definitely the cutest person I’ve seen on campus so far,” Sana flirts easily, something Chaeyoung has come to appreciate and dread in the two minutes that they’ve known her, and they find themselves nodding. After Sana pays for her drink, Chaeyoung writes their number onto the receipt and hands it off to Sana, who gives a cute little wave before leaving the cafe.

“It’s gotta be the haircut, Chae’s never had game before this,” Yeri jokes, earning giggles from both Somi and Chaeyoung.

“But in all honesty, you can tell their confidence is growing ever since they came out, and I couldn’t be more proud of my little chingu,” Somi says both seriously and playfully, pinching at Chaeyoung’s cheeks until they’re whining in protest.

Twenty minutes later, when they’re leaving the shop after their shift, Chaeyoung feels their phone buzz in their pocket.

**Unknown: Hey Chaeyoung! It’s Sana :)**

-

Turns out Mina and Momo know Sana. In fact, they all transferred together from Japan and live together.

So eight becomes nine, and Chaeyoung is a blushing, stuttering mess a solid 70% of the time around Sana. Luckily, the Japanese girl finds it adorable, so Chaeyoung is in the clear for now.

Jihyo decided last night to text the original group chat of five, telling everyone to invite Tzuyu and what Jeong has deemed to call the Japanese girl’s as J-Line to her apartment for a get together after their last classes of the week.

It had only been a month of school but this year has been looking up for Chaeyoung. Maybe it’s their acceptance and ever-growing comfort with their identity, maybe it’s their new friends, but they don’t care. They don’t try to look into it because they’ve enjoyed everything coming to them so far.

Plus, Sana won’t stop being flirty with them, so that’s always a nice plus.

The two of them are yawning as they walk out of their music theory class, Chaeyoung’s arms stretching over their head and causing their sweatshirt to ride up slightly. Sana takes the opportunity in stride, poking at the exposed skin of Chaeyoung’s waist, causing them to shriek in shock.

“The hell, Sana?” They whine, earning a giggle from the other girl as she loops her arm with Chaeyoung’s, the pair walking through campus towards Jihyo’s apartment.

“Do you ever just look in the mirror and realize that you’re like, the cutest girl ever?” Sana asks out of nowhere during their mostly silent walk. Chaeyoung assumes that Sana is talking about herself, but Sana’s playful eyes are trained on them, and they feel the embarrassed flush craw up their neck.

They hadn’t told Sana yet, mostly out of fear of her reaction and possible rejection because they don’t identify as either gender and what if that’s something Sana finds weird? What if she doesn’t want to be their friend anymore? What if-

“Woah hey, what’s wrong?” Sana stops them from walking any further, stepping in front of Chaeyoung to look them in the eyes. Chaeyoung flushes even harder, scratching awkwardly at the short hair on the back of their head, but Sana’s eyes are serious and attentive in a way Chaeyoung hasn’t seen before.

“Promise you won’t think I’m weird?” Chaeyoung asks quietly, vulnerability evident in their voice in a way they haven’t let it be in weeks. Not since they came out to Dahyun and Jeongyeon.

“We’re all a little weird, but I would never think of you as a bad kind of weird,” Sana says seriously, and it’s something so _Sana_ to say that it causes Chaeyoung to laugh slightly, giving them a relaxed confidence they need for this talk.

“I’m non-binary, so I don’t really identify as either gender,” Chaeyoung confesses, watches the cogs turn in Sana’s mind before her eyes widen and her jaw drops slightly.

“Holy shit and I’ve been referring to you as female this whole time?” Sana gasps. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

“I didn’t want you to think I was weird,” Chaeyoung shrugs to hide their insecurity. “I like being friends with you and hanging out with you, I didn’t want you to be uncomfortable or I don’t know.. leave..”

“Of course not!” Sana sounds downright offended that Chaeyoung would even insinuate that she would leave them, and it surprises Chaeyoung slightly. “Granted this is new for me so I apologize now if I slip up, but call me out on it! I want you to be as comfortable around me as I am around you, deal?”

“Deal,” Chaeyoung answers, feeling a smile tug at the corners of their mouth. Sana smiles too, much brighter than them as she pulls them into a tight hug. Chaeyoung melts into her embrace, arms wrapping around her waist as they reciprocate.

“So like, can I still call you cute or should I find another adjective to refer to you as?” Sana asks against their ear as they hug one another, Chaeyoung releasing a quick breath of laughter as they reply that cute is fine. They can feel Sana’s smile against the side of their head, the two of them pulling back from the embrace as Sana gives them a once-over.

“How about.. handsome?” Sana asks with a playful smirk as her fingers run through the sweep of Chaeyoung’s hair, causing them to blush profusely. Sana catches it, smirks even bigger before looping her arm with theirs once again.

“Come on handsome, we have a party to go to.”

-

Chaeyoung had been mostly blessed with the lack of homophobia in their life.

When they came out as gay, their friends were incredibly supportive and kind. No one in school was an asshole, and they got along just fine.

Coming out as non-binary has been pretty much the same, save for a few slip ups here and there from their friends that they didn’t mind because they knew they were doing their best. The slip ups stopped and their confidence rose, and the addition of their new friends being supportive had made everything all the more worth it.

That didn’t mean they didn’t get rude comments every once in a while.

A few headass guys at Chaeyoung’s college cornered them for looking more like a boy than a girl, spitting insults at them despite being too ignorant to understand that Chaeyoung doesn’t associate with _either_ gender. So what does it matter that they like to wear big sweaters and that they cut their hair short?

Thankfully, their torment is cut short by Tzuyu rounding the corner and catching their eye. Chaeyoung can quite literally see the anger flare in the taller girl’s eyes as she stomps over, shoving the guy closest to Chaeyoung and shouting, “What the fuck is your problem? Leave them alone!”

“ _Them?_ ” One of the guys asks incredulously, and Chaeyoung flinches as they hear the words spit from his mouth. “You might as well call her _‘it’_ at that point!”

The crack of knuckles against his face is enough to shut him up, Tzuyu threatening to throw another punch if they don’t fuck off. They scour away quickly, too afraid to admit that they had been bested by a girl, and Tzuyu waits until they’re far enough away to let out a quiet grunt of pain. “ _Fuck_ that hurt.”

“Tzuyu!” Chaeyoung shouts, shock evident in their voice. “What the fuck? You didn’t have to punch him!”

“He was making you uncomfortable, of course I had to,” Tzuyu shrugs like it’s the most obvious thing in the world, and Chaeyoung is so glad that they met and that Dahyun has this incredible girl in front of them as hers.

“Come on, Jihyo has a first aid kit and enough of a nursing degree to make sure you didn’t break anything,” Chaeyoung sighs, but not before flashing the most grateful of smiles to the taller girl. Tzuyu nods, a warm smile on her face as she lets them drag her towards Jihyo’s apartment.

-

“Hey Chaeng, you wanna go on a date?”

Chaeyoung quite literally chokes on the gimbap in their mouth, having to press their fist harshly against their chest to get the food out of their windpipe. Once they finally can get oxygen into their lungs, they look up across the library table at Sana with eyes watered from choking as they stutter out, “W-What?”

“A date, you wanna go?” Sana asks, the question so nonchalant despite the weight it holds. Because Chaeyoung is crushing hard on Sana, and they honestly had no idea that the Japanese girl had felt the same way at all.

“You.. you’re not joking right? This is legit?” Chaeyoung asks seriously, and before Sana can protest they finish, “because I’ve wanted to go on a date with you since the day we met and I don’t want this to be a joke.”

Sana stares at them for a moment, eyes trailing over their face looking for any sort of dishonesty, before a giggle fills the room, Chaeyoung’s ears, and their chest.

“Of course I mean it, silly,” Sana smiles, scooting her chair around the table to sit beside Chaeyoung. “I don’t say things I don’t mean.”

“You once told Momo there was jokbal in the campus center to get her to leave you alone,” Chaeyoung reminds her, having to hold back their amused smile at the memory.

“A necessary evil, 8am is too early to yell at me about her crush on Jeongyeon,” Sana waves them off, but her eyes widen in shock as she realizes what she just said. “Oh fuck I mean-“

“Oh trust me, I already knew,” Chaeyoung laughs freely, trying to keep their volume down to avoid disturbing other students. “Jeongyeon is just as disgusting.”

The two of them have a good laugh for a moment, Sana’s head resting on Chaeyoung’s shoulder comfortably as she plays with the fingers on their right hand. “So, do you wanna go on a date?”

“I do,” Chaeyoung smiles widely, unable to hold down the happiness in their chest. “But I’m paying. And by paying I mean not paying because Nayeon and Dahyun made a bet that Jeongyeon and Momo would go out before we did and the winner gets free dinner.”

“Free dinner and my favorite person? I can get down with that,” Sana chuckles, lacing their fingers together to hold hands as they continue studying, and Chaeyoung has never felt lighter.

-

The date is nothing Chaeyoung could have expected, and yet they’re not surprised at all.

The pair start with their free dinner compliments of Nayeon and Dahyun, Chaeyoung being awkward as hell for the first two minutes because Sana had kissed their cheek and they didn’t know how to function at the feeling of the Japanese girl’s lips against their skin. 

Sana is nothing but kind and caring, making sure Chaeyoung is comfortable and okay with everything going on the entire time in a way that makes them blush as they smile in thanks. Conversation flows easily afterwards, and Chaeyoung finds laughing at Sana’s inherent ability to fumble with anything in her hands easy.

“Part two!” Sana shouts as they exit the restaurant, and Chaeyoung’s brows furrow before their hand is taken by Sana’s and they’re being tugged down the sidewalk. Chaeyoung just shakes their head with a smile and follows along, the skin of their hand burning against Sana’s own.

The excited laugh Chaeyoung lets out when they see that Sana has dragged them to the nearby arcade has Sana smiling with relief, and Chaeyoung can physically see the nerves fall from her shoulders. Smiling widely, Chaeyoung is the one to pull them into the arcade, and the chaos truly begins.

Chaeyoung learns Sana is as competitive as them, and that Sana is also a sore loser. Chaeyoung won’t admit it, but they let Sana win air hockey more than once just to see her jump up and down excitedly with the biggest smile stretching at her lips.

Sana ends up using the tickets she’s won to buy Chaeyoung a tiger stuffed animal, saying that they remind them of animal because they’re strong and fierce but also absolutely adorable. Chaeyoung just smiles and shoves Sana’s shoulder to distract her from the blush on their cheeks.

“Part three?” Chaeyoung asks as they walk out of the arcade, earning a blinding smile and an excited nod as Sana echoes their words. This time, Chaeyoung musters up the courage to grab Sana’s hand and intertwine their fingers, and the sparkle in the Japanese girl’s eyes is absolutely worth it.

Sana takes them to get ice cream and sit out in the park, eyes trained on the sky as they stare at the stars and point out constellations. Chaeyoung actually knows most of them, thanks to Jeongyeon and her need to be an aesthetic lesbian, but they laugh at all of the constellations Sana manages to make up.

“Look, that’s Momo,” Sana points to a cluster of stars in the east, and Chaeyoung’s brows furrow in confusion.

“It looks like a raccoon.”

“Exactly,” Sana grins cheekily, and the laugh Chaeyoung lets out is so loud and moves them so much that they nearly drop their ice cream. Sana makes sure they don’t choke on their food again with a teasing smirk, before resting her head on Chaeyoung’s shoulder, playing with their fingers as they continue to bask under the stars and in each other’s presence.

The pair walk back to Chaeyoung’s apartment together hand in hand, and Chaeyoung can feel Sana’s nerves the closer they get to the apartment. It isn’t until they’re standing in front of Chaeyoung’s door that Sana stands in front of them, shuffling nervously on her feet while her mouth opens and closes, trying to form a sentence.

“Don’t be nervous, I had a lot of fun with you,” Chaeyoung smiles gently, the action calming Sana’s nerves enough for them to visibly notice. “Your three part plan was perfect.”

“There’s an optional part, if you’re up for it,” Sana says quietly, and Chaeyoung’s brows furrow as they stare up at her curiously. Hesitantly, Sana lets go of their hand, Chaeyoung watching it shake as she brings it up to cup their cheek. The Japanese girl takes a small step forward, and with a confidence they didn’t know they had, Chaeyoung matches her step.

“I’ve always preferred even numbers,” Chaeyoung jokes, a smile finally breaking out on Sana’s face as she rolls her eyes at them.

“I can’t believe I like a giant nerd,” Sana teases, and Chaeyoung feels their heart leap into their throat at Sana voicing her feelings for them.

“The giant nerd is waiting patiently for part four,” Chaeyoung says in a whisper, the two of them gravitating closer until their noses are brushing softly. Sana’s eyes lock with Chaeyoung’s, making sure that they’re entirely okay with it, and when they give her a small nod of approval, Sana closes the small gap between them to bring their lips together.

The kiss is soft, gentle, everything that Chaeyoung has never expected it to be. Sana’s thumb brushes against their cheek as their lips break apart only to meet again, taking the time to learn one another’s kiss with soft, relieved sighs.

Sana pulls back ever so gently, the most awed smile tugging at her lips as her eyes open to meet Chaeyoung’s. They match her smile in kind, their lips tingling from the feeling of Sana’s against their own.

“Does this mean I get parts five, six, seven, and eight?” Chaeyoung asks teasingly, Sana whining as she shoves their shoulder playfully. Chaeyoung laughs loud and bright, and their heart pounds hard in their chest when Sana kisses them again, muttering a quiet ‘of course’ against their lips.

Sana bids them goodnight, and they smile at her until she disappears from view. Chaeyoung jumps up and down a few times in excitement, until the door of their apartment flies open to show Dahyun and Jeongyeon smiling knowingly at them.

“Don’t say shit and let me enjoy this,” Chaeyoung threatens, but their friends pull them against their chest for a tight group hug.

“We’re happy for you, Chaeng,” Dahyun mutters in their ear, and Chaeyoung doesn’t think they can handle all of the positive emotions expanding in their chest as they hug their friends a bit tighter.

-

The slightly perplexed look that Sana gives them makes Chaeyoung regret the request in the first place, shuffling awkwardly on their feet as they wait for Sana to give them an answer.

“You want me.. to take you shopping?” Sana asks slowly, as though making sure that she had heard them correctly. Chaeyoung blushes as they nod, playing with their fingers to avoid looking up at the look on Sana’s face.

“I’m not good at like.. looking good, and I want more in my wardrobe that makes me feel comfortable in my own skin besides hoodies and crewnecks. And you like, _always_ look pretty and so I just figured-“

“You think I’m pretty?” Sana interjects, a teasing smirk on her face as she watches Chaeyoung blush profusely as they stutter.

“W-Well yeah, I’m pretty sure I made that blatantly obvious the first time we met,” Chaeyoung mutters, burying their face into their hands to hide their embarrassment. Sana’s laughter fills the air around them, her hands wrapping gently around Chaeyoung’s wrist as she pulls them away from their face.

“Chaeyoung, of course I’ll go shopping with you,” Sana smiles, so bright and true that Chaeyoung can’t help but smile back despite the blush on their cheeks. “I want to be as supportive as possible, and if that means taking you to the mall and throwing you into a fitting room with all of the clothes I can carry then so be it.”

Chaeyoung feels their chest fill with affection for the girl in front of them, smiling so widely their face could split in have as they wrap their arms around Sana’s waist, pulling her in for a tight and grateful hug. Sana laughs pleasantly in their ear, returning the hug with an ease only obtained by Sana before she pulls on their arm, linking their fingers as they walk towards the mall.

The first store they walk into brings back the insecurities Chaeyoung has always had about shopping in the first place. Sana must notice, noticing how Chaeyoung is stood frozen between both the women and men sections of the store. Sana, bless her ability to understand and care for people, asks them, “How about we go through both sections and grab whatever you think looks good? You don’t have to feel limited by gender roles, you can wear a suit one day and a frilly skirt the next if that’s how you feel.”

Chaeyoung almost cries in the middle of the store at her words, rubbing their thumb against Sana’s hand as a silent thank you before nodding. Sana smiles at them before tugging them towards the closest section, and spends the entire time assuring Chaeyoung that whatever they choose to try on is a valid choice and that they’ll look super cute in anything.

Chaeyoung wants to keep Sana around as long as humanly possible.

They spend an hour in a unisex fitting room that Sana had went out of her way to find for Chaeyoung’s comfort. The Japanese girl, despite her flirty and seemingly inappropriate nature, keeps herself facing the corner as Chaeyoung changes to give them as much privacy as possible before turning around and giving her opinion on their clothes.

The last outfit is simple; a white collared button up tucked into a pair of dark skinny jeans, with a small black bow tied around the neck. Chaeyoung looks at the outfit in the mirror, judging their own choice in clothes before asking Sana to turn around and look. The Japanese girl smiles as she turns, but the moment her eyes land on Chaeyoung’s clothes her smiles falters as her jaw drops slightly.

“That bad?” Chaeyoung jokes, knowing Sana is blatantly obvious about her opinions on things. Sana, however, licks at her bottom lip slightly before pulling it between her teeth, eyes raking up and down Chaeyoung’s body. “Sana?”

“If you don’t tell me to leave, I’m going to kiss you,” Sana says firmly, her voice lower than Chaeyoung had ever heard it before. Their eyebrows scrunch in confusion at Sana’s words until it hits them:

Sana _really_ likes their outfit.

“What if I don’t tell you to leave?” Chaeyoung challenges, watching Sana’s eyes flicker up to lock with their own, something unknown swimming in them before the Japanese girl takes the two steps between them swiftly and pulls Chaeyoung in by their tie, mouth finding theirs with a level of desperation Chaeyoung had never experienced before but one they match with fervor.

They end up pressed against the fitting room wall, Sana’s mouth pliant and needy against their own before they feel Sana’s tongue drag across their bottom lip, groaning at the feeling before opening their mouth enough for their tongue to meet Sana’s. The Japanese girl’s hand is still pulling at their tie while the other is grasping their waist, and Chaeyoung’s hands are linked behind Sana’s neck, pulling her in just as much as Sana is pulling them.

Sana finally manages to pull away after a few moments, gasping for breath as her forehead presses against Chaeyoung’s own. She laughs slightly, her laughter being contagious to Chaeyoung until the two of them are nearly losing it in each other’s arms, tears of mirth falling from their eyes as they allow themselves to enjoy the moment together.

“You better get this outfit,” Sana finally breathes out after the two of them manage to catch their breath, smiling teasingly at Chaeyoung but the tenderness is there behind the flirty nature as well. Chaeyoung nods, playing with the baby hairs on the back of Sana’s neck as they pull the Japanese girl back in for a softer, slower kiss.

-

“Hey there how can I-“ Chaeyoung asks the customer in line, looking up and seeing Sana smiling down at them and cutting themselves off mid-sentence. “Hey, you.”

“Hey yourself,” Sana smiles, eyes raking up and down Chaeyoung’s body (definitely not because Chaeyoung is wearing the outfit Sana liked so much, not at _all_ ) before her eyes look over their shoulder to Somi and Yeri. “Do you guys mind if I steal Chaeng for a couple minutes?”

“As long as I don’t have to see you two suck face, sure,” Yeri jokes with a playful smile, Somi rolling her eyes with a laugh as she nods. Chaeyoung smiles in thanks, pulling their apron off and setting it in the back room before letting Sana take their hand and pull them out the back door.

“You couldn’t wait two more hours for our date?” Chaeyoung teases, humming contentedly as Sana kisses them languidly.

“Nope, couldn’t stay away from you,” Sana giggles against their mouth, pulling away to look Chaeyoung seriously in the eyes. “I actually came to ask if it was cool if we did something else tonight?”

“Of course,” Chaeyoung smiles warmly, “I couldn’t care less what we do as long as it’s with you.”

The blush on Sana’s cheeks makes Chaeyoung feel incredibly triumphant.

“Okay you little Casanova,” Sana teases to hide how flustered she is, shoving Chaeyoung’s shoulder lightly and causing them to giggle at the action. “Just come to my apartment at eight and we’ll go from there, okay?”

“My my, miss Minatozaki are you trying to proposition me?” Chaeyoung asks dramatically, a hand placed on their chest for good measure. The action causes a loud, high pitched laugh to burst from Sana’s lips, and Chaeyoung can’t help but be proud of how much they can make the Japanese girl laugh.

“Not yet,” Sana fires back with a wink, and suddenly Chaeyoung is a blushing mess all over again. “No, I promise we won’t do anything you don’t feel comfortable with, but I managed to get Mina and Momo to get their asses out of the apartment so we can spend some time together.”

“You’re such a softie, how on earth did you get the snake reputation?” Chaeyoung pouts at how adorable the Japanese girl is being. Sana just rolls her eyes playfully at them, and they smile as they continue, “But yeah, that sounds great. I’ll see you at eight then?”

“Can’t wait,” Sana smiles as she kisses Chaeyoung one last time, and they can’t help but feel like they’re flying.

Eight rolls around much slower than Chaeyoung could have hoped for, and they finally find themselves standing in front of Sana’s apartment door with a small bouquet of roses clutched in their hands. They manage one knock before the door is swung open, Sana looking like an absolute vision on the other end as she smiles at Chaeyoung like they put the stars in the sky.

“Are you trying to butter me up?” Sana teases as she pulls Chaeyoung into the apartment, shutting the door behind them before pressing a kiss to Chaeyoung’s temple. They blush profusely at the gesture but still manage out, “Maybe, is it working?”

“Absolutely,” Sana giggles, taking the roses with a thank you and a chaste kiss before heading into the kitchen area. “Come on, I have a plan for this night.”

Chaeyoung follows her into the kitchen, eyebrows raising in pleasant surprise as they see the ingredients laid out all over the counters. Sana finds a vase and fills it with water, placing the roses into it and setting the vase onto the dining room table. Chaeyoung can’t help the excited smile that tugs at their lips as they turn to Sana, “We’re gonna cook together?”

“I remember you saying you like to cook but half of your kitchen is broken so you don’t get to very often, so I figured why not? It’s cheaper than going out and I can throw flour at you,” Sana shrugs nonchalantly, but Chaeyoung can see how nervous she is. Letting the smile take over their face, Chaeyoung quite literally jumps into Sana’s arms, yelling repeated ‘thank you’s into the apartment before turning towards the kitchen and washing their hands.

The make a chicken pot pie, a recipe that Chaeyoung knows well enough from Somi and her American roots, and it surprisingly turns out to be excellent. Sana does indeed manage to get flour into their hair, but her pout is deadly and Chaeyoung ends up kissing it off of her face every chance they get. As Chaeyoung pulls the pie out of the oven and Sana pours them two glasses of wine, Chaeyoung can’t help but think about how domestic this feels, and how much they want to keep doing this with Sana.

They sit down to eat together, chatting easily as they always do while Sana makes Chaeyoung laugh so hard that wine nearly comes out of their nose. At some point during the meal, Sana’s hand slid onto the table overtop of Chaeyoung’s, and they turned their hand to link their fingers with Sana’s contentedly. Again, incredibly domestic, but they can’t help but want it more.

“Hey Chaeng?” Sana asks after a small moment of silence, their plates emptied but their bellies full. Chaeyoung lifts their head as they hum in acknowledgement, eyes raising to meet Sana’s across the table.

“I know we haven’t been seeing each other very long, but I kind of _really_ like you,” the Japanese girl confesses, her words nearly a whisper at the end of her sentence. Chaeyoung’s heart leaps up into their throat, the prospect of Sana liking them as much as they like her filling their chest with butterflies.

“If you’re comfortable with it, I was uh.. hoping that we could make this official,” Sana says quietly as her thumb runs over Chaeyoung’s knuckles, nerves evident in her shaking voice. Chaeyoung can’t help the smile that threatens to split their face at Sana’s words, standing up quickly and wrapping their arms tightly around the Japanese girl.

“Of course I’m comfortable with it, you beautiful human being,” Chaeyoung laughs into her ear, feeling the older girl melt into their arms at the sound. In a spur of the moment decision, Chaeyoung lifts Sana up from the chair and into their arms bridal style, spinning them around playfully while Sana shrieks in joy at the action.

Finally setting her down, Chaeyoung smiles up at Sana while the girl matches their expression, hands cupping their cheeks as she stares down lovingly at them. Chaeyoung’s smile softens, and they giggle when they can feel Sana’s fingers ghosting over their dimples. No words are spoken as Sana leans down and connects their lips in a kiss, sealing their relationship with a slow and tender expression of emotions and confession of feelings.

In the middle of their kiss, Sana lets out a light laugh against Chaeyoung’s lips that grows into a louder one, and they chuckle with her before pecking her lips one more time, asking her what it is that she finds so funny.

“We’ve managed to get together before Jeongyeon and Momo could even exchange numbers and I just find that absolutely _hilarious_ ,” Sana starts nearly crying from how hard she’s laughing, and the sound is so infectious that Chaeyoung can’t help but laugh as well, the two of the falling together onto the couch in a fit of giggles until they can barely breathe.

“I’m glad I met you, Sana,” Chaeyoung speaks honestly once they catch their breath, looking down at Sana in their arms with eyes that they’re sure are much too soft. But it’s okay once they see that softness reflected in the Japanese girl’s eyes as she stares back at them, the warmest of smiles gracing her features as she cups Chaeyoung’s cheek.

“I’m glad you’re a mess and blurted out that you think I’m pretty when we first met,” Sana giggles and Chaeyoung whines as they fall into the crook of Sana’s neck, the Japanese girl’s laughter filling their ears and their heart.

-

“How long do you think it’ll take?”

“Considering they’re just now getting each other’s numbers after knowing each other for two months?” Chaeyoung asks Dahyun, who nods beside them as they both watch Jeongyeon and Momo turn into blushing messes around one another from afar. “I give it two weeks for them to stumble around asking each other out and then play it off like they’re just joking. At least Jeongyeon will try to for sure.”

“Betting on our best friends again?” Chaeyoung smiles as they hear Sana’s voice from behind them, feel the older girl’s arm slide around their shoulders before pressing a chaste kiss to their lips. Dahyun lets out a fake gag beside them and Sana is quick to retort, “You better keep that mouth of yours shut because I _know_ you and Tzuyu are just as disgusting when you think you’re alone.”

The blush that crawls up Dahyun’s neck and stains her cheeks turns Chaeyoung’s best friend positively red, causing them to laugh loudly at her. Sana just chuckles at the Dahyun’s new appearance, lifting her hand from Chaeyoung’s shoulder to ruffle the younger girl’s hair.

“Anyways, I give it five minutes until Momo asks out Jeong,” Sana says confidently, both Chaeyoung and Dahyun’s eyes bugging out of their heads as they stare at the Japanese girl like she’s grown another head.

“What happens if you lose?” Chaeyoung asks curiously, watching Sana ponder the consequences and the rewards.

“If I lose, I’ll stop stealing your food when you aren’t looking for a month,” Sana says, causing Chaeyoung to whine in protest because they didn’t even _know_ Sana was stealing their food. “ _But_ , if _I_ win, I want a kiss.”

“That’s disgusting,” Dahyun comments, shrieking when Chaeyoung flicks her in the forehead.

“I accept this,” Chaeyoung giggles, lifting their hand to find the one Sana has dropped around their shoulder to hold her hand loosely. They continue watching their two friends interact from afar with wrapt attention. A few moments pass and Jeongyeon’s face lights up, nodding excitedly at Momo before the two of them hug for a beat longer than normal then bidding each other farewell.

“Three, two, one,” Sana counts down quietly as Momo approaches the group of friends, jumping up and down excitedly with the widest of smiles on her face.

“I asked Jeongyeon out and she said yes!” Momo squeals, and Sana squeals with her while Dahyun and Chaeyoung stare dumbfounded at their friend.

“I’m never questioning Sana again,” Chaeyoung mutters before releasing a soft chuckle, telling Momo how proud they are of her. Momo seems to melt at the praise, smiling proudly as she nearly overflows with excitement. The oldest Japanese girl grabs for Dahyun’s hand, pulling Chaeyoung’s best friend off to help her plan her date with Jeongyeon.

“So, I believe you owe me a kiss,” Sana says smugly, causing Chaeyoung to roll their eyes at their girlfriend before grabbing at Sana’s waist and dipping her down towards the ground, placing a firm yet playful kiss to her lips.

“Since when are you so strong?” Sana asks teasingly when Chaeyoung pulls her back up to her feet, squeezing at their biceps playfully. Chaeyoung just shrugs with a smirk, flexing dramatically as they reply, “Momo and I are gym buddies now.”

“Hmm, I think I’ll enjoy seeing those results,” Sana chuckles suggestively, leaning forward to capture Chaeyoung’s lips with her own and they can’t help but think that with their best friends by their side and Sana in their arms, Chaeyoung is sure they have the best life they could have ever asked for.

**Author's Note:**

> Follow me on twitter @ tigermochaeyu!


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